Center Grove’s Audrey Annee, right, shoots the ball during Friday’s sectional game against Greenwood.
Chris Williams | For the Daily Journal
MOORESVILLE
The one sectional team that Class 4A No. 2 Center Grove didn’t play during the regular season waits in the wings.
Host Mooresville is ready.
Judging from the Trojans’ workmanlike 47-24 sectional semifinal conquest of county rival Greenwood in Friday night’s second matchup, so are they.
The Pioneers (20-4) did their part in the opening semi, downing Bloomington North 60-34 to set the stage for today’s 7:30 p.m. championship game.
Center Grove (24-1) seeks its 23rd sectional championship; Mooresville is chasing No. 22.
“They’re as good as anybody in the state,” Trojans coach Kevin Stuckmeyer said of the Pioneers. “They’re well coached and as well prepared as anybody in the state. They have top players, and they’re going to be ready to go.
“We’re going to have to play well to go get them.”
Stuckmeyer’s team closed the regular season with a 70-15 clinic against Greenwood on Jan. 23, a game that called for a running clock and perhaps little belief that Friday’s sectional rematch only 10 days later could contain even a smidge of suspense.
Apples and oranges.
Though unable to match what Center Grove’s potential at the offensive end, the Woodmen — behind senior guard Charlee Mayo’s long-distance accuracy — continued to hang around most of the game.
The Trojans led by 10 after one quarter, and by 14 both at the half and through three periods before finally putting some distance between themselves and Greenwood the final eight minutes.
Senior center Rachel Wirts paced the Trojans with 14 points and six rebounds. She was followed by senior guard Audrey Annee, who tallied eight of her 11 points in the second half for Center Grove, which shot 17 of 32 (53.1%) from the floor compared to the Woodmen’s 8 of 33 (24.2%).
But not everyone from Greenwood struggled from the field. The 5-foot-4 Mayo made her final game in a Greenwood uniform memorable, converting six 3-pointers on her way to a game-high 18 points. Mayo scored 18 of her team’s first 21 points before senior teammate Breanna Pierce knocked down a triple at the final horn.
“We were really good early defensively, and Mayo’s a lights-out shooter, and we let her get comfortable,” Stuckmeyer said. “She was able to hit some shots to keep them close.
“And we just haven’t been real efficient offensively. Give Greenwood and Bloomington South credit. We just haven’t made the simple, easy play the last couple games. We haven’t had a lot of fluidity and togetherness as much as we normally do, so that made us a little more inefficient.”
First-year Woodmen coach Jenny Finora hoped to pull the upset, but said the grit her ball club demonstrated was a positive way to end the season.
“It was a 55-point blowout two weeks ago. A running clock. Today, we had a really good game plan going in, and I’m proud of the kids,” said Finora, whose team finished with a 6-17 record. “They really stepped up and fought so hard.”
Seniors Mayo, Pierce, Gabrielle Wegesin, Alyssa Hamm and Stasia Buckalew all played a significant role in their coach’s debut season.
“It’s a lot of ups and downs,” Finora said. “A lot more downs than ups, but to finish … you know, we’re ranked two-hundred-and-fifty-something in the state, and (CG) is probably going to be No. 1 or No. 2, so to finish going out like this makes me feel a lot better about the season.
“Those seniors, we’re going to miss them. They brought it every day. They never backed down. Just great leadership.”
